Choose the right version of Outlook

There are many different products and services you can use to access your email messages, appointments and events, and contacts. Outlook offers many apps and services to meet your communication needs. You may use several Outlook apps or services at different times. Each product or service offers different features.

Outlook 2016 for Windows and Mac

Outlook 2016 for Windows and Office 2016 for Mac are included with your Office 365 subscription, are available as part of several different Office 2016 suites, and can be purchased as standalone programs. The two versions do share many of the same features, but there are key differences as well. Both programs allow you to send and receive mail from both business and personal email accounts, add appointments and meetings to your calendar, and manage your contacts. Archiving, Bcc (blind carbon copy), spellcheck, email signatures, and junk mail filtering are also included with both programs.

You can use Outlook 2016 for Windows and Outlook 2016 for Mac if you’re using a desktop or laptop computer. Outlook 2016 for Windows also works on most Windows tablets.

Note: If you’re using an iPad or iPhone, you’ll need Outlook for iOS on those devices.

Outlook on the web

If you have an Office 365 subscription and need to access your work or school email account, or your company uses Microsoft Exchange for email, you have access to Outlook on the web through your web browser. The exact URL (web address) you use to access Outlook on the web may vary, but for those with Office 365, you can go to https://portal.office.com to start.

With Outlook on the web, you can send and receive email, schedule meetings and appointments, and store information about all of your contacts. Junk email filtering, email signatures, message categorization, Focused Inbox, and more are all included.

You don’t have to install anything on your computer or tablet to use Outlook on the web. If you’re traveling without your computer, you can use Outlook on the web from any internet café or kiosk with many, if not all of the same features.

Outlook.com

Outlook.com is a free email service for your personal email. Anyone can go to https://outlook.com and sign up for a free email account. Previously known as Hotmail.com and Live.com, you can use Outlook.com if your email address ends in @outlook.com, @hotemail.com, @msn.com, or @live.com.

Primarily designed for the consumer, Outlook.com offers many of the same features as Outlook on the web. You can add other email addresses to Outlook.com and check your home or work email through the Outlook.com service. Alternatively, you can add your Outlook.com email account to Outlook 2016. You can make appointments and schedule meetings, add attachments to your messages from OneDrive or from your computer, and manage your contacts and tasks. For more information about Outlook.com, see Get help with Outlook.com.

Outlook for iOS and Android

If you have an iPhone, iPad, Android phone, or Android tablet, you can use Outlook for iOS or Outlook for Android, which allow you to manage your email, calendar, contacts, and files. You can add any email account that uses POP or IMAP, as well as Outlook.com, Office 365, Gmail, Yahoo, and Exchange accounts to either of those apps.

Outlook for iOS and Outlook for Android also include calendar and contact support. Using OneDrive, OneDrive for Business, Box, Dropbox, or Google Drive, you can access files as well. For more information, see the Outlook for iOS and Android help center.

Mail and Calendar for Windows 10

The Mail and Calendar apps on Windows 10 provide touch-friendly email and calendar applications that are great for use with both personal and business email accounts, and come free with every Windows 10 device, including Windows 10 phones, tablets, laptops, and desktops.

With Mail and Calendar for Windows 10, you can access all of your email accounts, including Gmail, Yahoo, Office 365, Outlook.com, and your work or school accounts. You can add a background image to the applications themselves, combine all of your emails into a unified Inbox, and access all of your contacts stored in the People app on Windows 10.

Mail and Calendar for Windows 10 are optimized to run on Windows 10 phones. You’ll find the applications listed under Outlook Mail and Outlook Calendar on your Windows 10 phone. With quick swipe actions, you can manage your emails and events without a keyboard, and since they’re included for free on all Windows 10 devices, you can start using them right away. For more information, see Mail and Calendar FAQ.